Fracture
by FrostPanda
Summary: Meet Haruto Jima, a 14-year-old boy caught in a bad situation. Being caught as a drug runner, he is faced with only a few options, go to Juvenile Detention, rat out his bosses and still have a record, or become a hero? Jump in as this kid in over his head is forced to be one of the things he least expected to be. Well, at least all he has to do is become a hero, right? If only...
1. Chapter 1: Head First

_**Welcome to a dream I had that I could not get out of my head. So here it is. I make no promises on how much and how quickly I will update, but I hope you enjoy this OC adventure into Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia. **_

_**4/2/19 Edited grammar mistakes and proper tense for the actions. (Past tense vs. present tense)**_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these characters, original storyline, or setting of My Hero Academia. This is a fanfiction made for free entertainment. Please support the official release. Thank you.

"For the third week in a row, record low temperatures reign in Tokyo…" The T.V. Screens played behind the glass of the store as a boy walked quickly past, moving into the back alley. His breath held in the night air as he pulled his hood tighter to hide, from the cold and others. In the back alley, he made his way towards the fire escape and ascended.

_this is a bad move and you know it…_

'Not like I have a choice…'

**Focus kid, you wanna make it in and out you need to keep loose and stay out of sight. **

** '**Yeah, I know…'

I still don't get why you are even doing this, what good has your family been for you? I think you should just disappear and let them deal with the shit for once.

'Alright enough from the peanut gallery, let me do my job so I can just go home.'

He shifted his backpack as the voices became quiet, ensuring the goods wouldn't leave his pack. His black athletic pants made no noise as he moved up the stairs, his sneakers were carefully placed to be silent. The black hoody clung to his body and the black face mask covered everything except his purple eyes. He went to the edge of the roof and started to plot his path. He backed up and leaned forward.

"Three…two…one…go."

He raced to the edge. Sprung from the ledge. The cold wind stung his eyes as he fell. He pulled his legs in as he reached for his core. He threw an arm forward to the ground that rushed to meet him. His eyes sparked and the ground rippled with purple bolts of energy. It formed an open circle, opening to the sky above showing the next rooftop. He is propelled through the window at high speed and flies through the air far above the next building.

Not stopping his momentum, he opened the next portal along a wall across the street, higher than the next roof. The further he went the darker the city got, the more broken the windows, the dirtier the roads were. The people moved faster in the streets, all but blurs in the eyes of the boy.

He landed on the roof of his destination, sneakers sliding to a stop near the edge. He caught his breath as his heart stops pounding, the bite of the wind was gone but the high still remained. He set his pack on the roof and checked the contents. All good. He put the pack back on and went to the fire escape. He quickly moved down it to avoid detection.

_look out._

He stopped dead in his tracks as he hears the footsteps down the alley.

"This the place?" The gruff voice echoed down to the side alley the boy is in. He ducks behind a trashcan. He holds still.

"Yeah, Machiru, this is the meetin' point. Just wish these Precepts weren't so paranoid. Business is always a bitch with them, but they're always good to their word. Now hurry up." The second voice is a bit lighter but stronger.

**That has to be the buyers, you made it, early even. Just listen and follow. **

He followed them keeping his footfalls light. The neon lights from the red-light district made a jagged contrast to the grimy alley. From neon red to pink, to blue, then back to red. The shadows danced to the unheard music and the boy follows the beat behind the two men.

They wore black suits, one had rams' horns sticking out from his curly brown hair. The other larger man looked as if his suit was ready to break. He carried a metal briefcase as his crimson hair hung down his back in a ponytail. They turned left heading to the cross section of four buildings. Waiting around the corner the boy watched as they approach a metal slatted door. They knocked twice rapidly, then three slow taps. The shutter slid open to see them. A voice rang out lighter than the rest, "Open the case, we wanna see that you got what we want."

"Sure, show'em Machiru." A click followed after and the shutter closed. Three different locks were undone and the door silently opened. The boy stepped forward into the new light and quietly followed. The men walked in, the boy made it to the door right as it closed. He knocks three hard knocks then five quick taps. He looked up at the metal slider on the door and saw a pair of beady eyes looking at him, as if they were coming out of the metal itself.

"Took ya long enough, mule. Get in here, you're almost late."

"Sorry Joi, had to be sure I wasn't followed."

"Shut the fuck up and lock the door behind ya, Haruto."

Haruto turned and locked the door, first the chain then the two deadbolts. He followed down the path of the out of use office building, his steps scuffing along the cheap white tile. The dirty drywall stretched on as Haruto tailed behind the small man. His black body suit stood out in the fluorescent lighting with his white plague mask sticking out. They walked along until they heard voices around the corner.

"…worry about it, the mule should be here soon. Probably was just making sure everything was there before coming. You brought the money, we deliver the goods. Speak of the devil… Get over here Haruto."

The hooded boy entered the room as Jio stood by the door. The meeting room had all the blinds pulled other than the small openings from damage. The only thing that wasn't broken in the room was the table, which the two men from early and an average yakuza by the name of Kotetsu were standing around. Haruto walked up and took off the pack. Unzipping it he pulled out a black case and slid it over to the Yakuza. He opened it and turned the case.

"See gentlemen, as requested, 10 Eraser Bullets and 15 Enhancers. Well, 11 and 16 so you can test the product for yourselves. The enhancer should last about 10 minutes, standard… But the Erasers… they are much better than our last batch. They should last about 6-8 hours." He then pulled out a bullet and an enhancer, handing one to each man. They each inject one into themselves. The ram-horned man's veins bulged, while the man with red hair seemed to shrink, his suit now oversized for him. They nodded and handed over the cash.

"Good, now if you want us to keep making more…" Haruto stood in the room, backpack once again on his shoulders. He stood by one of the windows and peered through the blinds not focusing one the words. He just wanted to go home. The shadows in the ally are muted again, neon red, pink, blue as he stared towards the starless sky. The roof stuck at a sharp angle as the shadows danced.

Oi, you got company.

Haruto blinked as his eyes shifted, one of the shadows was not dancing, it was getting bigger. His pulse picked up as he turned his head back to the office.

"We will take another batch as soon as you can make it. We were told to offer double for the next batch if we can get it within a week. But we-"

"Hey, someone's out there, are we supposed to have more people showing up?" Haruto's voice cracked as he looked between the businessmen. They all froze a moment. Right before hell broke loose.

"Pack up and take your shit! Jio hide, you two out the back. Mule start running!"

_DUCK!_

Haruto hit the floor as the glass above him shattered. A shadow burst in yelling, "Freeze, you are under arrest for drug trafficking!" The man ran past Haruto as the hero chased the men running. Gunshots rang out as purple energy raced underneath the boy. He fell through the ground and out the side of the wall on the next roof. He ran.

He started sprinting across each rooftop leaping from edge to edge.

** Dive left!**

Haruto dove left to only just avoid being caught by loose cloth.

'Cloth?' He kept running but turned his head to see a man in black chasing him. The cloth bandages floated around him as his eyes glowed red locking onto Haruto. The bronze eye goggles shine from the light below as a tired voice calls out.

"Can you just stop and get arrested? I've had a long night already."

**Are you kidding me?! Eraser Head?! Kid you have to run! He is a true pro! He can erase your quirk as long as he can see you. Keep breaking eye contact and portal out!**

_Duck you idiot! Keep going! You get caught and it is over!_

Haruto dove forward off the building avoiding the cloth again. As he met the ground the next portal opened launching him from the adjacent roof. He turned left. Jumped a ceiling vent. Wove through the next fire escape. He ran for the wall and opened another portal. His goal was in sight as he saw the highway bridge out in the distance. He focused as he dove!

SMACK!

Haruto crumbled to the roof as he hit headfirst into the wall. He groaned as the cloth he narrowly dodged before wrapped around his body locking him in place.

"Finally, what a hassle."

His body turned to face the sky, but all Haruto could see were the glowing red eyes and elevated hair of his captor. His eyesight blurred as he slipped into unconsciousness. It was over.

14-year-old Haruto Jima had been caught.

_**I hope you enjoyed this; reviews are always appreciated as I aim to make this story better as time crawls on. **_


	2. Chapter 2: Cuffed

**Author's Note: Well I wasn't expecting so many people to follow. To the 12 of you who did, thank you. As to the people who gave reviews thank you for your feedback and kind words. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy what I put out. **

**4/7/19 – Fixed a plot error dealing with the justice system in Japan that was pointed out to me in a review. It doesn't change the overall plot, but it does fix the context and keeps it culturally accurate. Sorry for the uninformed American's mistake. Also, some grammar errors were fixed. **

"…but seriously Aizawa, what did you do to the kid?" The voice almost sounded chastising as Haruto started to come to.

"I erased his quirk, and he dove head first into a wall," Eraser Head sighed as his exhaustion pulled through, "Look at least we caught him at all, a second later and he would have been gone. How long have you been searching for one of their couriers?"

Haruto blinked, purple irises focusing on the white ceiling above. A slight beeping registered in his ears and it was getting faster. He tried to move some hair out of his face only to be stopped and a "thunk" to ring out silencing the adults. Thin metal dug into his wrists…Handcuffs. The beeping spiked.

_Well, looks like you got caught._

**Great, it was nice knowin' ya kid.**

Now all that you did was for nothing, I told you to leave them behind and just hide. But no, you just had to be noble.

"Ugh..." Haruto groaned as the voices in his head chastised him, making his head ache. The lights only made it worse as Haruto turned his head to look outside. It was still dark, it was nighttime. In the reflection of the glass were two men standing in the room, one his familiar captor, the other a man in a tan trench coat stood next to him. He was the same height as Eraser with his tan trilby hat on. They stood and watched as Haruto turned his head to really look at them

"Look, you aren't going anywhere," Aizawa stared with half lidded eyes, "You're in my sight and handcuffed to the bed. So just relax and don't make me have to use my eyedrops."

The tan man walked forward and took off his hat, his black hair straight to the point like his attitude. He pulled a chair up to sit next to the gurney. "So, can I get a name, or do I need to make us go down to the station for an interrogation? Also, you do have the right to legal counsel if you want. We can wait to make this official."

Haruto turned his head to the ceiling, "…Jima Haruto," defeat resonated in his quiet voice. There was no way out, he had failed. He had nothing left.

The man nodded, "Good, my name is Naomasa Tsukauchi and I am a detective for the Police Force. Let me tell you what I know and you can fill in the gaps, okay?" He cleared his throat and pulled out a small note pad from his pocket. Flipping it open he looked briefly before focusing a piercing gaze upon him.

"Earlier this evening around 10:30 pm you were caught fleeing from the scene of an illegal drug transaction between 2 parties. You ran at the sight of the heroes and tried to escape, only to be captured by Eraser Head. He delivered you to the hospital with district hero Bunker Busta for treatment. Your items were confiscated and your backpack tested positive for the illegal stimulant 'Trigger'." He returned to his notes and pulled out a pen and looked at Haruto, eying him with interest.

"Upon check in to the hospital, it was noted you have a brand on your shoulder of the Yakuza gang the Eight Precepts of Death. It isn't fresh so how long have you been working with them?"

"I…uh…" He shifted nervously as the detective's eyes narrowed.

"Please don't try to lie. Either tell me or keep your silence. My quirk is Human Lie Detector and it is better than any polygraph quirk out there." He straightened his pen and gave Haruto as sad knowing look. "Jima-kun, I understand that you are not in a good position, but face the facts. You've been caught fleeing the scene of a crime, you were transporting drugs, and you have a yakuza marking on your shoulder. Work with us. You are a runner, a delivery boy. You are expendable to them, and there is no reason to protect them. Most kids in gangs are forced into this, but you are safe here. They can't get you while we have you here."

The detective pointed his pen back to Eraser Head, "That's why he is still here, not just to watch you but to make sure no one else tries to kill you. So please, just help us so we can help you."

"But I…" But what? Haruto couldn't talk, he knew what would happen.

_wait, think about it. this could be your way out, it's still night. they may think you are still avoiding capture. if you work with them you could save them…_

Light returned to Haruto's eyes, dare I even say, hope. His head whipped back to the cop. "I'll talk but I need your help first, and fast."

Surprise flitted across both men's faces. Naomasa raised an eyebrow, "You aren't exactly in the best position to make demands _before _we get information Jima-kun."

"Please! It's my brother and my mom… They… they have been watching them and threatening me with their lives." Haruto's head dropped, hands clutching the blanket. "If I talk, they will kill them. I need you to get them, take them in. Make sure they are safe. I don't care what happens to me, just don't let them die from me getting caught." Tears welled in his eyes as he pleaded with them, "Don't let them die because of me…"

At that, the detective's eyes hardened and he looked to Aizawa. The man in black shrugged and pulled out his phone. He turned back to Haruto, "What is their address?"

Relief swelled in the boy's chest as he gave the home address. He looked to the detective as he also pulled out a phone and started dialing. "We'll get them out and safe as soon as we can, I promise."

Naomasa pushed from the chair and made his way out of the room. His voice muffled as he walked away. Aizawa typed away in his phone for a few more seconds before making his own way towards the bed. He stood a silent vigil for a minute studying Haruto.

"How long?"

"W-what?"

"How long have they been forcing you to deliver for them?" His voice cut to the point black eyes locking on to purple.

"Two years, about two years… but shouldn't you wait for the detective? Doesn't he need to be here for the interrogation?" Confusion laced his voice as intimidation crawled over his skin from Aizawa.

"I'm a licensed hero, my words and reports have just as much credibility as his. Or are you telling me to wait because you think you can get away with lying to ME." His eyes narrowed and Haruto would have sworn that they tinged red for a moment there.

"N-no, I just…" He took a deep breath and broke eye contact from the Hero. He never thought he would be here, yet there was the stone wall in front of him trying to get every motive from him.

"Did they pay you?"

"Not at first… They used threats for a while then…I think they were trying to get me to join. They started paying me when my family fell on hard times. We were robbed, mom lost her job, my little brother is still in school…I," He paused as he looked back up, "I was desperate at that point, after they paid me, they branded my shoulder."

Aizawa's eyes darted to his left shoulder quickly then back to his face.

"How long ago did they brand you…"

Shivers started racing down his spine as Haruto remembered the day. His hands shook. His throat tightened. Tension filled his chest right above his heart. They dragged him to one of their hideouts where he met the leader, Overhaul.

* * *

_The halls seemed to press upon Haruto as he followed the hulking man in the plague mask in front of him. Kendo Rappa walked quickly and chuckled, his bare muscles twitching with amusement._

"_So, the twerp gets to take his first steps into the big world. Lucky you."_

_Haruto kept quiet as he followed, a ball of nerves rising to his throat. The hulking man's chuckles sent goosebumps down back. He followed the path into an open room. A dentist's chair sat near the back with the observation light above, shining on the seat. Metal tubes crawled back into the shadows of a larger machine, like worms seeking the dirt. A man stood near the chair looking through Haruto. He stood straight in a green jacket with purple fur around the neck. White latex gloves clung to his hands while his black dress shirt and suit pants hung loosely on his body. His white tie struck down the middle of his chest, reminding him of a surgeon's knife cutting through skin. Then there was the mask, like all of the high up Precepts, he had an ornate plague mask. Black leather straps held a rustic red metal mask to his face as the beak was accented by a dull mustard yellow. Metal rivets symmetrically stuck out of the mask as his black narrow eyes scanned Haruto up and down. _

_"Welcome Haruto, it is nice to finally meet you. I, as you have probably guessed, am Overhaul." The boss moved his hands outward, putting himself on display. "Are ready to begin your first real step into the Eight Precepts of Death?" His voice was smooth and sharp like a scalpel. The 13-year-old could only nod, not trusting his voice to quiver. _

_"Good," he moved closer to the chair before him and ran a hand along its surface, "Normally, this is where you would get a tattoo to make it…official, but I have a more efficient way." The man turned back to Haruto and curled his fingers towards himself, "Come here Haruto…"_

_Sweat ran down his neck as his numb legs stiffly pulled him forward. Everything was telling him to run, to get out, to leave, to hide, but forward was all he could manage. He was two paces away when he stopped and Overhaul leaned down._

_"This will serve not just as your mark but… as your warning. You cross us, I will do the same thing to your family…except I won't put them back together."_

_"W-what?"_

_His hand struck faster than he could keep up. One moment he was looking into the eyes of Overhaul, the next everything was pain. He could see nothing but spiraling colors, hear nothing but the roar of blood in his ears, feel nothing but the overwhelming tearing of every cell in his body, and taste nothing but iron. Then everything was black._

* * *

_Haruto woke up with a strangled scream as he shot up from the bed, his breathing ragged as adrenaline shot through his body. He was dead, had died, yet… The boy looked around the room. He was on a bed and on the ground were what looked like-_

_'Dolls? Why are there kids toys here?'_

_Haruto rose from the bed and looked around the plain room. The walls were clean unlike the rest of the base and the floor had tan carpet. There were toys around the room and an open door with a small shadow coming from it. Haruto did a double take. Standing with her body slightly behind the door was a small girl. Her light blue hair went to her shoulders and a small red horn stuck out from the right side of her forehead. Her soft cautious red eyes never left Haruto as he slowly made his way over to her._

_"H-hi, my name is Haruto, who are you?" Haruto's voice scratched out as if sore as the little girl shrank back more._

_"E…Eri…" The girl looked to the ground._

_"Eri? That's a nice name. Is this your room Eri?" Each word seemed to give Haruto strength as he stopped a few steps from her door. From what he could see the girl was shaking and must have been hiding in this bathroom while he slept._

_"…Yes." She seemed to pause as she got a better look at Haruto. She didn't relax but Eri's shaking stopped._

_'She's more scared than I am to be here…' He looked to the toys on the ground and grabbed a stuffed bear. He offered it to her as he looked into those red pools in her eyes. _

_"Do you wanna play together?" He tried to exude calm as he sat down to get on Eri's level. He saw his little brother standing in her place scared of the thunderstorms that hit. He tried to help, to comfort, to distract._

_"Y-you're scared like me…" Her eyes pierced his purple ones as they widened in shock. She stepped closer and pressed on, "Why are you here?"_

_Haruto froze, "I…" He looked at her, there was something unreadable in Eri's face, "I have to, to protect my mom and my brother… they will get hurt if I don't listen to them." _

_Haruto turned to look to the other door in the room. It was closed, but he had to wonder. Why had no one gotten him? Why did they put him in here? He turned back only to be nose to nose with Eri. Her eyes were wide, searching, and sad?_

_"You're like me… you don't wanna hurt them so you listen and do what they say." Tears welled in her eyes as Haruto did the only thing he could think of. He reached out with both arms and pulled her close for a hug._

_Eri flinched at first, but just moments later she was curled up into his chest tears falling. She cried, soft sniffles shaking from her body as she let go. Haruto's heart pained for the girl. This child, she looked no older than 5, was suffering… And he could do nothing but hold and comfort her till she fell asleep. She must have known. She didn't ask him for help, she didn't make him promise to get her out or come back to visit. She just cried and shared in the misery with a fellow prisoner of circumstance. They both knew they were far from being saved._

_It must have been 15 minutes after she started crying that Eri passed out. Haruto moved to her bed, the one he slept in before, went to tuck her in. Her hands clung to his shirt, but Haruto slid the teddy bear into her arms. She changed her grip, clinging to the bear like a life preserver for the drowning child. She curled in on herself as he tucked her into the pink comforter. _

'_No child should have eyes like that…'_

_He took a shuddering breath and steeled his resolve. Haruto walked out of the room back into the base. He quietly opened the door and closed it behind him. _

_Kendo Rappa stood a few paces from the door taking up the hallway, "Bout time runt, I was starting to think you were never gonna wake up." He slid a bucket with soapy water and a sponge floating in it towards Haruto. "Come on, you got a job to do before you get to go home."_

_Haruto grabbed the bucket and followed. He found himself back in the room with the chair and tubes only there was a new addition to it. _

_"Clean up your mess, then you can go home." He laughed as he saw the color drain from the boy's face. The room reeked of sickly-sweet iron as a spattered pool of crimson lay on the floor. It was blood… _

_'It's my blood…' The words came back to him as he set the bucket down next to the red. _

_"You cross us, I will do the same thing to your family…except I won't put them back together."_

_Large footsteps started to echo as Haruto started scrubbing on his hands and knees. The blood didn't really absorb in the sponge well as it gooped and clung to the ground. _

_"Oh runt, don't forget to look at your shoulder when you get home. You're a member of the clubhouse now..." The voice faded as the water in the bucket dyed red with blood._

* * *

It had taken him a while to calm down enough to answer as Aizawa stared at the shivering boy. "About a year ago."

Eraser Head seemed to find something in that answer as he pulled out a small key and unlocked the cuffs on Haruto's wrists.

"Now don't be stupid and try anything, I still have you in my sight." His eyes locked on Haruto just waiting for him to activate his quirk. Aizawa helped the boy stand and led him to the bathroom. "Splash your face with some water… should help."

Haruto did as told and turned on the faucet. He splashed his face with cold water the liquid cooling him down. Drops trickled off of his chin as he looked in the mirror. Deep amethyst eyes searched his face. His deep-set eyes had dark bags underneath them showing his lack of sleep. His black eyebrows framed his eyes in a soft fashion as his black hair hung loose dripping with water drops. His thin pink lips were set in a line as he moved on to the rest of his body. He only just realized he was in a light green hospital gown that hung off of his frame. His arms were toned in a way that told a story of one who was… active. His mind lost in thought, Haruto turned his back to the mirror and pulled the gown away. He exposed his left shoulder to reveal scar tissue that formed a perfect pattern. The angry pink burn-like mark formed a segmented and perfectly symmetrical lotus with a kanji centered in the middle of it. The mark puled tight as he stretched to see it in the light clearer.

Haruto wasn't sure how long he stared at his shoulder, but it must have been a while guessing from the cough Aizawa made to interrupt his thoughts

"Are you going to use the toilet or are you going to just keep staring at yourself?"

Haruto flushed red in embarrassment and apologized. One awkward flush later he was led back to the bed and was cuffed again. This time his left arm was free to move as the Pro sat down in the chair once again. Aizawa looked to the door expectantly but turned back when no one entered. He returned to questioning Haruto.

"What's your quirk?" His eyes were half lidded now, almost uncaring as he looked down on Haruto.

"Portal, I can make portals on other surfaces and jump from one to the other. It keeps whatever movement I was doing as I go through." He answered quickly.

"Can only you go through? Or can you send others too?" Aizawa raised a brow.

"Other people can use my portals, I can also send things through them without a person holding them." Haruto tilted his head. Why was this hero asking how his quirk worked, unless… oh, right, they had to know how it worked, if they were going to keep him in a detention center.

"How many portals can you make? What are your limitations?" Aizawa pressed on about his quirk noting each detail.

"Just two, the entrance and the exit, but you can go in or out each side."

"How long can you hold them up for?"

"I don't know, I haven't tried longer than a minute. I tend to just make them and go through."

"How far away can you make each portal from each other?"

"Anywhere in sight, but if I can visualize the place well enough, I can make one appear there and one near me."

Each question came like a rapid-fire bonus round on a game show. It seemed like the hero wanted to get his questioning done as soon as possible with the least amount of effort.

"What happens when you over use your portals?"

For the first time, Haruto didn't answer immediately, he shifted uncomfortably as Aizawa looked even closer, his eyes opening a bit more.

"I… uh…-"

The door opened interrupting the Q&A. In the doorway stood an older woman. She had purple hair and ice blue eyes. Her hair was bound up in a tight bun on her head as purple sparks danced between a few loose hairs that hadn't been captured by her bun. She wore a set of blue pajamas with small clouds on them and blue slippers to match. Behind her was a small boy with purple spiked hair and red eyes in an All Might PJ set. Upon seeing Haruto the woman slowly walked to him. She stopped a foot from the bed staring, her expression unreadable.

"H-hey Okaa-san, hey Tobi-chan." Haruto couldn't meet his mother's eyes. The handcuff on his wrist felt a thousand times heavier as looked at his younger brother. His eyes were tired and confused as he looked at his older brother.

Before he knew it, Haruto was enveloped in a hug by his mother. She was shaking as Haruto was pulled in tight. He was startled at first, but he quickly returned the hug just as tight. It was a few moments when he realized his shoulder was getting wet.

"Haru-kun I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry, Haru-kun." She sniffled as she cried unable to let go. "If I had known, if you had told me…If I had been a better mom, I should have known! She sobbed as Haruto closed his eyes tears welling in his eyes.

"Okaa-san… it isn't your fault. You…couldn't have known…th-they would have killed you." He whispered out as he held tight.

At this his mother pulled away and looked him over. Love, sadness, regret, guilt, fear…each emotion played on her face. She turned to the doorway where Detective Naomasa stood watching the whole time an unreadable expression on his face.

"Please," She begged as she moved blocking Haruto from the detective's sight, "Y-you can't take him, he didn't have a choice. Please."

"I'm sorry Jima-san, that isn't my call. We do have to take him into the station to get his full confession and statements. We also need to take you and Tobi-kun somewhere safe for the time being. Your son said they will come after you if he works with us…You may have to go into hiding. What happens next is out of my hands. I brought you to him, but you need to leave with your escort." Naomasa moved into the room and took off his hat looking seriously at the family. "This may be the last time you see each other for a long time…" He left the rest unsaid as he stepped to the side.

His mother hugged him one more time, "I love you Haru-kun. Don't you forget that. I love you with all my heart, no matter where you go or what you do." She kissed him on the forehead and looked him over. She bent down and lifted Tobi up to the bed. "Tobi-chan, give your brother a hug before we leave okay?" Her voice quivered as she spoke trying to hide her anguish.

Tobi moved over and hugged his brother. As he was pulled away, his brother went from confused to upset, "Mama why are we leaving without onii-chan?"

"Because we have to Tobi-chan, we have to go with the Police Force. Haru-kun has to do some important things with them. We will see him later okay?" His mother's face fell with the lie.

"But," It seemed as if Tobi was piecing something together, his face scrunching up, "when will we see him mama?"

"Later dear, later…" She held him and walked out of the room following two officers that were waiting beyond the door. The door closed behind the woman and Haruto sank into his bed. He was exhausted, like he had just finished fighting a fever, but Haruto was not out of the woods yet. Naomasa pulled up a second chair and sat next to Haruko once again. The detective's eyes took in the boy.

"They're safe, now please, tell us what you can. Anything about them that you can think of that will help us put these Yakuza behind bars."

Haruto sat up straighter, "There were only four people in the building with me earlier when you guys raided the place. Two were customers but I only got the name of one through overhearing it and that was Machiru, a big guy in a suit with long red hair in a ponytail. The other was a guy with brown curly hair and ram's horns on his head. They bought 15 Trigger stimulant shots to amplify quirks and another thing called Eraser Bullets. I don't know what those do, but they said they last about 6-8 hours…" He paused and looked at his hands. This was it. If he said this there was no going back.

'You have nothing to lose now, they can't hurt them. Not anymore.'

He locked eyes with Naomasa who held his note pad and pen with a firm grip, he nodded encouraging Haruto. Aizawa leaned back in his seat watching it all through half-lidded eyes. If it was anyone else, Haruto would have thought the man was about to fall asleep. The boy steadied his resolve.

"The other two men were of the Eight Precepts of Death, Joi Irinaka, his nickname is Mimic, and the broker's name is Izukuma Kotetsu. The clients paid a lot of Yen and tested the products on themselves. That's when… I noticed something outside and warned the others. I believe Eraser Head knows the rest of the story." He looked sheepishly at Aizawa as the man kept staring half-lidded.

Naomasa finished his notes for a moment and nodded. "Okay. That's a good start and confession right there." He stood up and pressed the call button next to the bed. "Can we have Okitawa-sensei check on our patient here? I think we are ready to move him to the station with your clearance."

A doctor soon came in and looked over Haruto. His greying brown hair did not distract Haruto from the man's yellow feline eyes that checked him over.

"Well he does still have a minor concussion, so he will need to keep from strenuous activity for about a month… But other than that, I say he is clear to be moved."

Naomasa retrieved Haruto's clothes while Aizawa watched. After pulling on his black T-shirt, athletic pants, and hoody they re-cuffed his hands behind his back and escorted him to a squad car. Aizawa slid in the backseat with Haruto while Naomasa took the driver's seat.

"I meant to ask earlier," Aizawa broke the silence surprising the others in the car, "but what training have you had? The way you moved tells me you have experience."

"Well I was a runner for two years-"

"No, I'm talking about how you evaded me. I know you can transport drugs." He gave Haruto a deadpan stare. "You almost _escaped me. _Who trained you to dodge pursuers?"

Haruto stiffened.

_you going to tell him?_

**Kid, I would keep your mouth shut.**

Tell them, I dare ya! Bet they wouldn't even believe you.

Haruto looked back at Aizawa, his expression was hard to read.

"I wasn't trained."

The hero didn't show surprise but did raise an eyebrow, "Really? No training?"

Haruto looked out the window watching the cars go by. "I just tried to run, break line of sight so I wouldn't be caught." He rested his head on the window, the cold glass calming him down. "When I heard you behind me, chasing me, I moved in weird ways to try and make you miss. That didn't work in the end though…"

"Shame you're a drug runner," Aizawa leaned back in his seat, "You have good instincts."

Haruto relaxed and Aizawa stayed silent the rest of the ride to the station.

* * *

One week. It had been one week since he had been caught in March. One week and he was already losing his mind, his nerves, and his patience. He wanted to know what was going to happen to him.

Was he going to juvenile detention? Was he going to be released and left to fend for himself? Or was one of the Precepts going to bust in and kill him, just to shut him up?

"A little too late if they wanted to do that." He said to the wall as he waited on his mattress. The last week he had been pulled from his cell and grilled over and over for anything and everything he had on the Precepts. He gave them dead drop locations and where he knew some side hideouts to be. The main base he had no clue on though. He had been blindfolded, his ears muffled, and stuffed in a car trunk when he was branded. He hadn't been to the base since. He had given profiles on all the people he knew were in league with them, whether he had names or faces. All the same, it had been a long week of interviews.

Today was odd though, as instead of being pulled for questioning after his breakfast he was instead left to his own devices. So, he sat, he exercised, he counted cracks in the wall, and he fiddled with his ankle monitor.

"_We know you can teleport out. Even if we don't think you will try to escape, measures have to be taken."_

It still made sleeping weird as his foot fell asleep if he slept the wrong way. When he could sleep. His bed was hard and his jumpsuit itched from the cheap fibers it was made from.

'And this is just the holding center, I can't imagine what real prison must be like."

The door opening down the hallway broke him from his thoughts. Three sets of footsteps made their way down the hall. Something was off. Normally it was just one guard that came to take him for questioning.

'Maybe a new culprit joins the cages…'

That thought was dropped when the steps stopped in front of his door. Haruto sat up and looked out his bars to see a small group in front of him.

Detective Naomasa and Aizawa Shota were two he recognized but the third had him baffled. There, stood in a white dress shirt and red tie, was a mouse, bear, dog, cat thing? Haruto couldn't tell what he was other than not human. It had a scar over its right eye and kept its paws behind its back. It had short white fur and a tail that drifted from side to side. It also wore a black vest piece, black dress pants, and brown combat boots. Overall Haruto did not know what to make of this.

"Uh…"

What the fuck is that thing?

"Are you done staring or are you just going to keep looking dumb?" Aizawa's half-lidded eyes glared.

"Now, now Aizawa-kun, I'm sure Jima-san is just shocked. I am not exactly common when it comes to appearances." The polite creature looked up to the detective, "Would you please open the door so we might have a conversation with Jima-san."

Naomasa nodded, "Of course Nezu-san. If you need one of us just holler." The detective smiled as he walked back down the hall.

Haruto stood from his bed and moved from the door as the pair entered. Both Nezu and Aizawa sat on the bed and looked at Haruto. Haruto looked sheepish.

"I'm sorry for staring Nezu-san."

The fluffy man laughed, "No need to apologize, it doesn't really matter for what we need to discuss." Nezu's posture straightened as he looked to the child, "Now I would say take a seat but…"

Haruto just shrugged and sat on the toilet, using the only seat left.

"Right… Jima-san, based on your first reaction, I don't believe you know who I am, or more importantly, what I do." Nezu smiled as he folded his paws, man that will take some getting used to, in his lap.

Haruto shook his head.

"Well then, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Nezu and I am the principle of U.A. High School."

Haruto's eyes widened, this man-cat was the principle of the number 1 ranked Hero Academy in Japan! But what was he here for? A smile crossed Nezu's face at the recognition.

"I am here to offer you _a chance_ for a place in my school in the Heroics Course."

Haruto couldn't believe his ears. There was not a chance any of this was real. He was in a holding cell. He was a Yakuza gang member. He was only above average in academics. He was not Hero material, not by a long shot.

"Is this a prank?" It was too good to be true.

The smile faded a bit from the man-mouse's face. He looked to Aizawa for a moment before looking at Haruto. "I assure Jima-san, this is no joke. This is a legitimate offer." Nezu gestured a paw towards Aizawa, "Aizawa-kun here believes you have some potential to be a great hero. The reports on your case and your actions tell me you could be too."

Nezu got off the bed and walked towards the child, "It would be a waste for you to not try and become a hero. I am offering a second chance here, a clean slate. If you pass the entrance exam, graduate from my school, and become a Hero, your record will be expunged."

The man-dog looked up and locked eyes with Haruto, "The choice is yours of course. You can stay here and still be tried, with all that you have done to help the Police. You would have a record; honest jobs would be harder to get and you would be hunted by the Eight Precepts of Death with no one to help you…" Nezu paused as he walked back to the bed, "I can't force you to accept, but this is your chance at redemption."

Haruto held his head in his hands. He shook his head. He was defeated before he could even start the exam.

"I…Nezu-sa-sensei, how would I even be able to attend? I can't afford to attend U.A., even if my mother was not in hiding, we couldn't afford it."

At that Aizawa took the head of the conversation, "There are scholarships available for those with a high enough need that meet the requirements. There is subsidized housing for those who live too far away to take the train to school, and even employment opportunities around the school for students who need it. The businesses are always happy to hire students of U.A. High." His gaze lasered in on the child's disbelieving purple eyes. "You are not the first student that U.A. has rehabilitated, and I doubt you will be the last. But U.A. High School still only accepts those with the best potential."

You really gonna do this brat, become some great hero?

_Haruto this is your chance._

**This is up to you kid, your call.**

Haruto straightened up and looked at the two teachers. He locked eyes with Nezu.

"When is the exam?"

**Thank you for reading. As always, I appreciate any reviews and thoughts you have for me. Hope you have a good day! **

**Special thanks to PrettyKitty Luvs U for the long review.**

**\- Panda**


	3. Chapter 3: An Explosive Exam

**A/N: Thank you to those new that followed and those who keep coming back. Thank you for those of you who reviewed. I hope you enjoy the next chapter! **

Haruto only became antsier as the days crawled to the exam. He was still in his cell but was being treated better. He was still in holding more for his safety and lack of a home to stay and await the exam. He no longer wore the rough prison jumper but some of his clothes from home. He had 3 outfits that he cycled between while he was staying here, but the one he currently had on was a yellow long sleeve shirt, navy blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. The jeans still covered the ankle monitor on his left leg but he could live with that. Detective Naomasa came and visited every now and then, not for criminal reasons at least.

The detective seemed to genuinely care about the sanity of Haruto as he tried to get to know him. He was given a couple of books to read and the detective was sharing his lunch breaks with him. He brought sandwiches for both as they were chatting.

"So you really don't play any videogames Naomasa-san?" Haruto took a bite of his club sandwich as he tried to get to know the man better.

"Sadly, I can't." The Detective looked a little disappointed, "I can't play them because they make my quirk go off. Unlike TV, where the people only lie to each other, in the game they lie to my character and it goes off. It ruins the surprise and the suspense of any game." He hung his head a bit at a lost avenue for entertainment. He perked up after a moment though, "But, then again, I'm still glad to have my quirk. It makes my job easier and helps people."

Haruto nodded as he kept eating, "Yeah, I can see that." Haruto paused as he stopped mid-bite in his sandwich, "Wait, does this mean you have never had a surprise party either?"

Naomasa choked on his food a moment before laughing. "Well, not any successful ones. But the thought is always nice…" The cop seemed to lose himself in thought before his eyes looked closer at Haruto.

"Haruto-kun I have been meaning to ask you this," He set his plate down and folded his hands in his lap, "I know we helped your mother and brother… but where is your father?"

The mood seemed to leak out of the room like water from a cracked cup. Haruto sighed as he met the detective's curious gaze.

_you don't have to tell him…_

"Mom doesn't like to talk about it, and I can't remember it much… but he died when I was eight." the boy chewed some more before speaking again. "He was caught in the crossfire of a bank heist."

Naomasa looked solemn, "I'm sorry Haruto-kun."

God, I hate pity…

Haruto looked to the ground and mumbled out, "Thanks…"

Naomasa stood up with his plate and grabbed the one Haruto had finished, "Well it's about time for me to head back but I figured I would give you some good news." A small smile played on his face as Haruto looked up curious. "We have gotten you approval from the Cheif to use the courtyard near the firing range for you to practice in before the exam. You will be under heavy supervision, but with your good behavior, and the recommendation from the school, the Chief is giving you a chance."

Haruto leaped up from his bed, "Can I go now?!" He was tired of being inside. He wanted the sunlight, the open air, the ability to stretch his legs.

"Slow down there, little man," he chuckled, "Give me a minute to round up some people to watch and you will be out there soon okay? Just wait one more hour." He walked away from the cell door as Haruto sat back down.

Three more days and he would have his shot, his chance, his new life.

**You really need to see if you can make more portals, Eraser Head had good questions. Put them to theory and practice them, kid. Also… You need to try making your portals in the air. If you really wanna be in the hero business you need diversity in your kit. **

You could really use some firepower man. You can run good enough, but that doesn't amount to shit in real fights.

"I know, I know," Haruto huffed lost in his thoughts.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of three sets of footsteps. Haruto got up and went to his bars to look.

He wished he hadn't.

Coming down the hallway was someone he never wanted to see again in his lifetime. Two Police Force officers were escorting a bruised man. His face had a large bruise on his chin but his brown eyes narrowed as he saw Haruto. His back tie and white dress shirt were a wrinkled mess and his black dress pants were just as dirty.

Ah, shit.

"I knew it… I knew they must have gotten you." The venom in Kotetsu's voice seeped in as he was escorted down the hall. "When you didn't show up the next day, we knew you had to have been caught." His walk led him closer to the cell. "We went to check on you at home Haruto, but what did we find? An empty house…"

Haruto flinched from the bars. He moved to the bed and sat.

_calm down, you knew this would happen. it was a matter of time… just breathe._

He took a big breath. In 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… -

"Knock it off Izukuma. Keep walking." The officer's gruff voice carried his authority down the hall. It wasn't enough.

"You're fucking dead kid. _He already guessed you'd squeal. _You, your mom, and your little brother are fucking dead. If they see you out there, you won't make it a block."

Out 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7…

**Just ignore him kid, he knows he is screwed. He just wants to scare you quiet.**

"LOOK AT ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Haruto's eyes shot open and he turned to the bars. Kotetsu was pressing up against them struggling against the officers pulling him down the hall. The yakuza man only had eyes for the boy in a cell. "You ain't just gonna die kid, they're gonna make you suffer."

"That's enough out of you," He officer shoved him forward making Kotetsu stumble. They pushed him on down through the next set of doors to the cells beyond. He yelled the whole way down until the blue steel doors silenced his shouts.

_forget about him, you are going to get stronger. they won't be able to touch you once you are in school, and from there you will only be harder for them to kill. your family is under protection. they have nothing. _

Haruto looked back down to the ground. He clenched his fists.

This exam couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Haruto was in the back of a black car, as they moved down the road. Naomasa was driving and Haruto could not stop bouncing his leg. He had trained, experimented, and even gotten ideas from some of the watching officers. He was ready, but would he get in?

"Relax, if you don't stop bouncing your foot you are going to make a wear pattern in my car, Jima-kun." Naomasa's eyes were focused on the road, but his fingers tapped on his wheel in concern.

"I'm sorry, Naomasa-san…"

"Look, you will do fine, you have a good mind, and you have the ability. If what I saw while you trained is just the beginning of what you can do, you will get in. So just stay focused and you will do fine." He pulled the car to a stop in front of a Large windowed building. A large red and green wall surrounded the campus as the entrance way in was blue steel with Gold letters spelling "UA" on the top of the arch. Behind the line of arches was the building itself in the shape of an "H". The large windows shined in the light reflecting the clouds in the sky on their mirror-like surface. Through the first arch was a series of white arches following a red brick path that led to turquoise stone stairs. Beyond that were large numbered doors of red and gold with Greek columns in between them.

Haruto stepped out in his black school uniform and hefted his black backpack from his running days. He breathed in the crisp morning air before turning back to the car. "See you later Naomasa-san."

"Good luck Jima-Kun." The man nodded his head and pulled away allowing the other cars to move in.

This place is so damn pretentious…

'A bit rich for my blood, yeah…"

He moved forward along the brick path surrounded by grass and some bushes. He held on to his guest pass as he walked not really paying attention until…

"Uwahhh, eeehhieh?" – "Are you alright?"

Haruto looked up from the ground to see a boy with dark-green bushy hair floating with a girl with brown hair setting him on balance. They seemed out of place standing next to the busts of famous graduate heroes. Haruto kept walking but watched as he walked by.

"Sorry, I used my quirk on you, but I thought it would be bad luck if you fell before the exam. Aren't you nervous?" She looked up as if to get rid her own nerves by saying them.

"Uh…" He started freaking out but the girl in the pink plaid scarf didn't seem to notice.

_smooth_

"Let's do our best!" She chirped out as she turned to walk forward. Haruto quickly turned his head to make it look like he wasn't blatantly staring. He walked up the steps and the girl seemed to fall in line with him as he walked through the door marked 2.

"Nice save back there…" What was that? Why did he feel the need to talk?

The girl shook her head and looked at him a bit sheepish. "Thanks, just didn't want him to fall on the first day… It's a bad omen."

There was an awkward silence for a bit as they walked to the auditorium. Haruto sighed and brought his hand up to his face. "I'm sorry I suck at these kinds of things. My name is Jima Haruto."

She perked up as they moved forward following the crowd.

"Nice to meet you Jima-san, I'm Uraraka Ochaco." She smiled and stepped into the auditorium. "Do you know anyone here? Are you going to be sitting with anyone?"

"No, I don't, at least, I don't think I know anyone in here. There are so many students here…" He turned to look at the ray of sunshine in a girl, "So no, I'm not meeting anyone. Are you?"

"Nope! Do you want to sit with me? Better than being alone right?" She seemed to look away a bit at that.

'Nervous too, eh?'

"Yeah sure!" they sat in the middle of the auditorium and waited. It wasn't long before the many students each in their own old school uniforms filled the seats. The lights dimmed and the room went still.

Show lights sparked to life as the large screen turned on. The UA logo absolutely dwarfed the man on stage. He looked as if a skater decided to mix with a scene kid for his outfit as his gelled back long blond hair stood upright. He had a sound amplifying device on his neck, blue headphones over his ears and yellow shades with white rims. His black overcoat spiked up along his neck and his red elbow pads stood out with their grey spikes.

"Hello candidates, and welcome to my show!" He waved his hands out to the crowd, "Everyone say HEY!"

**This man is… odd. To think you would get an intro from Present Mic. **

Not a voice responded. "Keeping it mellow I see, well then I will just run you through how the practical exam will go fast. ARE YOU READY?"

The silence didn't break his stride as he ran down the exam details.

"As it says in the application requirements, you all will be in 10-minute urban mock battles. You can bring whatever you want to the exam. You will go to your specified battle arena after the presentation." His voice rang out in the hall but did not drown out the mutterings of a green-haired boy a few rows behind Haruto. Uraraka pulled out her guess pass as did Haruto.

"I'm in battle center A…"

"I am at B… Guess we won't be testing together…"

"Now, it goes without saying but just in case, no attacking other examinees and being the Antihero. You will use your quirks to help take down the faux villains." Present Mic stood side profile showing off the screen above him. "Each villain-bot will be worth different points. Your job is to destroy or immobilize them to get the points they are each worth." A pixilated version of Mic ran through an urban city destroying the representations of each point value.

"May I ask a question?!" A stern voice rang out as in the row in front of Haruto stood a tall boy. He had a tan school uniform and stiff hand raised out. He seemed almost robotic in his movements.

"Hit me!" Present Mic pointed to the student and a light came on above the boy.

"On the handout sheet, there are 4 varieties of faux villains! If this is accurate, then such an error is unbecoming of such a prestigious school! We are all here trying to become model heroes of the future!"

He turned around quickly and glared a few rows behind Haruto. The uptight boy's face was angled and framed with glasses. His dark blue hair and matching blue eyes seemed to try and attack the victim of his ire.

'He is way too serious…'

"And you with the curly hair! You've been muttering this whole time…It's distracting! If this is just a game to you then please leave immediately!"

Haruto looked to Ochaco, raising an eyebrow as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Alright, Alright." The boy turned to the front again, "Examinee 7111, nice catch, Thanks!"

The presenter waved his hands to bring the focus back in. "The fourth Faux villain is worth 0 points. He is more of an obstacle. You can beat it down but there is no incentive to do so! He is meant to cause chaos in close quarters."

The boy bowed, "I'm sorry for my assumptions!"

What a hardass.

"S'okay!" Mic waved a hand in dismissal. "That's all from me! I'll leave you listeners with our school motto. The great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'True heroism consists of being superior to the ills of life…" PLUS ULTRA!" He pointed to the ceiling as the lights dimmed on him.

Ochaco stood up like the rest of the students. Haruto picked up his bag to see her smiling again.

"Good luck Jima-san"

"You too, Uraraka-san."

The students all filed out to the changing rooms. He changed into his runner uniform. He paused as he pulled on his black athletic pants. It was weird. He was wearing it during the day, he wasn't on the run. He was testing to be a hero…

_are you ready to change what these clothes mean to you?_

Determination rushed into him as he pulled on the loose black long-sleeve shirt. He pulled down the black mask that covered from his nose down past his neck. He laced on his new black running shoes and slid on the hoodie. He didn't pull up the hood and made his way outside to the designated busses.

The large steel walls that surrounded the mock city bore the large letter A on the gate. Haruto looked to the top of a building marking his target spot. He went closer to the wall making his way through the hero course hopefuls. He was next to the wall and took a deep breath. Then…

"AND BEGIN!" A loud electric voice of Present Mic rang over the area. Haruto waved his arm as he heard the rest of the starting speech. "WHAT'S WRONG? THE TEST'S STARTED! RUN! RUN! THE REAL WORLD DOESN'T HAVE COUNTDOWNS!"

Haruto dove through his portal energy rippling in his mind and body. He was blocks away from the gate and falling. A bird's eye view of the cityscape. He was in his element as weightlessness came over him. He fell story after story and spotted the next spot, and even better a three-point villain.

WOOSH

Flying out the purple portal feet first he crushed the robot with the force from his free fall. He ran forward seeing a two-pointer.

**You don't have to destroy each one, the test is to immobilize and incapacitate.**

Haruto nodded as he opened a portal under the robot, "YOU WILL BE ELIMINATED." The synthetic voice called after locking onto Haruto. But too late, its bottom half had descended into open space. HE cut off the portal. The sound of sheering metal rang out as the lower and upper half of the bot were separated. Behind him was the collapse of metal from under an overhanging building. Less than 30 seconds in and he had 5 points…and he was facing 3 more robots.

"I'll Kill You all!" Explosions rang out as a boy _flew _through the air and blasted the bot to Haruto's left. He used the attack to change momentum and launch at the next one. The blond-haired rage machine cackled as he destroyed the villains.

"Overkill much?..." Haruto mumbled as he ran for the third bot. However, the third one was blasted with sound waves as a girl with speakers on her bracelets destroyed the bot. Haruto searched above and waved his arm, opening a portal on the side of the skyscraper. He ran at a wall and jumped through the rippling energy. As he fell, he heard a boom behind him.

**Behind you kid!**

The blond boy in the black tank top followed through his portal!

"What the Hell?!" Haruto started in surprise as he saw red eyes looking at his.

"Thanks for the lift dumbass!" The explosive teen shot away and deeper into the city towards a cluster of robots. Haruto closed the portal quickly and fell to the next portal. He launched himself into the next cluster of metal. As he fell, he opened a larger portal under another three-point bot. The momentum carried him through, as he crushed the robot through the portal and into another robot on the other side.

"Hey! That one was mine!" A boy with red spiked hair and rock looking body cried out as Haruto ran again.

"Sorry, but you gotta be quicker than that!" He turned his head to look back on the road. The redhead had lost focus and was staring at Haruto. He didn't see the laser pointer aimed at his back from the 2-point robot.

_DIVE_

Haruto dove down into his new portal at his feet. He came up to the shocked red-head, surprise across his face. He pulled him aside as a rocket whizzed past where he had just been standing, blowing up 30 feet away.

"Pay attention man!" Haruto got up and pulled the rock-man off the ground.

"EIGHT MINUTES LEFT!" Present Mic Called out from where ever he was. The redhead smiled and turned around to chase the 2-pointer that shot at him.

"Thanks for the save purple dude, but I can take it!" Haruto watched in shock as the teen stood and waited for the bot to try and punch him. Only for the guy to take it like a champ and the robot's arm broke from its own punch!

Haruto laughed as he ran for his next portal, "Never mind then!" He had 11 points and he needed more. More examinees entered the area taking the rest of the robots as sparks and debris flew everywhere. The purple energy sparked in his eyes as he once again fell, portalled, then flew. A routine came out as his mobility launched him into the fray of new clusters of robots.

17…18…21…23…26…27…28…29…32…

He was breathing hard as he heard the loud voice overhead callout, "THREE MINUTES LEFT!"

Haruto stood on a skyscraper searching for more points, in the distance he saw many explosions and jumped. Popping out of his portal, he saw in the intersection the blond kid from earlier yelling and exploding. Fire raged in the streets as parts and pebbles flew through the air.

"I will kill you all!"

Haruto landed on a 2-point robot and looked for more, it seemed like the robots from all over were following the noise.

He's a damn magnet for them. Perfect. Just leach off the ones he can't get to fast enough and let his dumbass do the hard work.

_watch out, he may not take kindly to poachers._

**Quit staring and move!**

The ground started to open below Haruto. What the hell? He sprinted from the intersection as the yelling came closer to him. Other examinees were getting closer as well only to see the moving ground. From the opening rose a 50-story tall green hulking robot on tank treads and with huge arms made for crushing. On its head and body were the large numbers "0"s painted on.

"What the fuck?" The blond bomber looked up like the rest of the candidates. Then it moved.

**RUN KID!**

Haruto turned as the large arm swung into the buildings dropping large chunks of concrete in its wake. The candidates fled as the obstacle came after them. The blond boy flew overhead soaring away. Everyone had escaped the first blow.

The second was a different story. The robot smashed the street sending a wave through the road. Haruto lost his footing and on instinct threw out a portal on the ground…But his mind was on the robot…Then HE was on the robot.

_what are you doing Haruto?!_

Haruto wobbled as he stood on the robot with a huge vantage point. He could see the clouds of dust clearing, the shattered glass sparkled on the ground like glitter, and pillars, slabs, and chunks of concrete made a maze in front of him. Then his stomach shrank. A black jacketed person was surrounded by tall concrete and couldn't climb out. They were going to be crushed!

JUMP MORON!

His time on the robot had not been unnoticed as a giant hand descended on him. Haruto sprinted and leaped off of the head as he dove to the ground. He looked around and saw his escape. A building down the road tall enough to jump out the side and land on another rooftop. He looked to the quickly approaching ground and recognized the girl in the black tracksuit now trying to blast her way through the rock. It was failing, she was tired, the robot was closing in. Haruto grimaced as his arms tingled. He was running out of energy too.

"Look out!" He yelled as he opened a portal beneath her. Her face was in shock as Haruto collided into her. They launched through the other side of the portal as if Haruto had tackled her through the window of the skyscraper. He rolled a bit and swung his body in front of hers towards the rooftop.

DUN, SKURHHHsshhh

They slid across the roof and hit the other edge. Haruto cried out as his back hit and scraped across the roof tearing away his clothes and exposing his back. They both groaned out as they rose from the roof.

"Holy crap, are you okay?" The girl stood over him as he tried to stand up, blood dripped from his back.

"No…" He winced as he tried to stretch. "But I can move."

"ONE MINUTE LEFT CANDIDATES! BETTER GET THOSE LAST SECOND POINTS!"

"Come on ninja-dude," the purple haired girl helped Haruto up as she pointed to the 0-pointer with her, earlobe? Headphone jack? No those were her earlobes. "We need to get out of here!" As if to emphasize her point the building shook as the arms lashed out at another building.

Ninja dude? Really?

'Shut up, not now.'

Haruto threw his torn jacket to the side, it would just get in his way now. He focused as purple sparks of plasma raced painfully down his arm. "Gah!" He cried out as the purple door opened showing clear roads at street level.

"Hurry and jump out of here!" Haruto grimaced as he had to focus to hold the path open.

The girl didn't hesitate as she leaped up and through the portal on the roof. Haruto fell in just as a green fist crashed into the roof.

They were at the gate where the exam started. Haruto bent over breathing hard as his heart raced. His fingers twitched; his legs cramped up as the sparks raced through his body.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! TIME IS UP! EVERYONE RETURN TO THE GATE TO BE TREATED AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEARS SELECTION EXAM!" Present Mic's voice rang out for the last time as the sounds of fighting ceased. Haruto fell to his hands and knees and waited for the shocks to stop.

"Man, are you gonna be okay?" A concern laced voice spoke over him and he looked up to see the purple-haired girl above him again.

"Once I see a nurse or something yeah…" Haruto grimaced as he tried to stand again only to be helped up by the girl again.

"I didn't really have time to say it back there, but thank you…" She looked him in the eye, her own dark purple eyes conveying gratitude. "I'm not sure what I would have done to get out of that rock pile."

"Don't worry about it," Haruto smiled tiredly, "I was falling anyway and thought I may as well grab you on the way out."

Her eyes dead panned as she looked at him, "You really just couldn't stop while you were ahead Ninja-boy?"

"Sorry." Haruto sheepishly grimaced as she rolled her eyes. She helped him to the medical tent and sat him in one of the folding chairs.

"Thank you," Haruto sighed in relief as the sparks stopped making him twitch. "By the way, my name is Jima Haruto."

"No problem," she gave a small smile, "Mine's Jiro Kyoka." She turned around and started making her way out of the tent. One of her earlobes came up and waved behind her. "See ya around, Jima-san."

"Sure…" he mumbled as one of the assistants came over to check on him. "If we got enough points… I hope 34 is enough…"

* * *

Haruto sat in the office of Detective Naomasa. He was reading a book titled Heroes vs. Halfwits. It was about how to asses and understand situations while thinking critically in emergencies. He honestly had made no progress since he started an hour ago. His mind was racing.

It had been 1 week since the exam, and Haruto knew the results would be sent to him soon. He wasn't sure if he scored enough points in the practical exam, let alone the written one. Sure, he wasn't stupid, but he was up against the best of the best to enter this school. And to be frank, his life depended on it too if he ever wanted to escape the Precept's grip.

Hey Jima-kun, got a letter here for you." Detective Naomasa handed over the letter with the UA Wax seal on it. Haruto grabbed it slowly, anticipation making him slow. "I will step out while you open that…" The man in tan turned and left as fast as he showed up. Haruto went to the man's computer chair and sat down behind the oak desk. He opened the letter and pulled out a folded sheet of paper and a strange metal disk.

It lit up making Haruto drop it in surprise.

"THIS IS A PROJECTION!"

Haruto looked into the eyes of the one and only…

"Yes, it is I! All Might! Why am I in your letter from U.A. High School? I am here to start teaching at U.A.'s hero course this year." The muscled man in a yellow suit stood tall. His mustard hair spiked in 2 places atop his head as his dark eyes pierced through the projection into his heart. He cleared his throat, "First though I must say with your written exam score and villain points… You were 2 points short of entering the hero course."

Haruto's heart sunk into his stomach.

_no…_

**Damn it…**

Bullshit. You passed.

"Or that would be the case if villain points were the only points in the practical exam. Observe the actions of a potential Hero!" All Might sidestepped and the screen changed to show Haruto pulling a redhead through a portal to avoid a missile, then him plowing 2 robots into each other through the portals. Lastly was his high dive from the top of the 0 point villain to tackle Kyoka through the portal below her and shifting his body to take the collision on the roof.

"Rescue points was the secret point category used to judge the candidates. You scored an additional 30 points for rescue!" He smiled and stood with his fists on his hips.

"If our school did not recognize ingenuity and heroics, we would be a poor school indeed. So welcome, Jima Haruto, to your Hero Academia!"

The projection cut off and his heart felt full. The projection was gone but his eyes would not leave the spot where All Might was. The elation seeped from his heart and his eyes stung. He had done it. He was on the first steps to freedom.

**Good Job Kid.**

_I knew you could do it._

See, I told you it was bullshit.

"Sh-shut up…" He wiped his eyes and opened the letter. Details on school supplies, where to go to apply for his housing, his travel restrictions, locations to apply to work…and a handwritten message.

"_Better than a drug runner, now prove you can be a hero."_

**As always, thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and I hope you have a good day. **

**Special thanks to Imya for the long review and PrettyKitty Luvs U as well. Thank you to Oi Teme for the correction. **

**\- Panda**


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